South Asia
According to American data intelligence company Morning Consult, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s approval ratings have severely dropped as the second wave of the COVID-19 virus continues to ravage the country. According to the tracker, Modi polled at 63% in April 2021, compared to 80% in October 2019. [Reuters]
On Tuesday, Bangladesh witnessed large-scale demonstrations against the ongoing violent attacks by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza. The protests were organized by the Jamaat-e-Islami party, Bangladesh’s largest Islamic political party. [Anadolu Agency]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have agreed to jointly control law and order along the disputed areas of the border following last month’s violent clashes. Officials said that a joint checkpoint has been established between the Ak-Sai village in Kyrgyzstan and the Tajik district of Vorsukh for border guards of both countries to maintain security in the area. [RFE/RL]
An Uzbek opposition party, Truth and Development Social Democratic Party, was denied registration for the upcoming presidential elections in October. Party chief Khidirnazar Allaqulov told RFE/RL that Uzbekistan’s Justice Ministry had rejected his application to register his party for this year’s polls. Despite Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev saying that he is not against opposition groups participating in elections, parties have found it extremely difficult to register for elections since the country gained independence in 1991. [RFE/RL]
East and Southeast Asia
The Japanese government said on Tuesday that it will impose stricter border regulations on anyone who has travelled to Bangladesh, the Maldives and Sri Lanka in the 14 days before arrival, in order to prevent the spread of a more contagious coronavirus variant that was first discovered in India. The tighter steps will be effective from Thursday and come as the three countries have seen a surge in infections due to the variant. [Japan Times]
The number of people from Myanmar seeking shelter in India has swelled to more than 15,000, with more likely to cross over as fighting intensifies in parts of Myanmar, an Indian government official said on Tuesday. The influx into the small, north-east Indian state of Mizoram, which shares a porous, mountainous border with Myanmar, began in late February following the coup. [Dhaka Tribune]
Europe
Hungary on Tuesday prevented EU foreign ministers from jointly calling for a ceasefire in the escalating Israeli-Palestinian military hostilities by voting against a formal statement by the bloc on the matter. Budapest is the Israeli government’s closest ally in the EU and refused to join the other 26 ministers in demanding a truce in the ongoing conflict. Nevertheless, the bloc vowed to help advance the peace process with the Middle East Quartet. [Politico]
Over 7,000 migrants from Morocco reached Spain between Monday and Tuesday. Consequently, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez vowed to protect Spain’s “territorial integrity” and protect it from the “unheard crisis”. [El Pais]
Latin America and the Caribbean
A staff member of the Democratic party in the US has anonymously provided the Associated Press with a report by the State Department that lists senior Central American government officials who are considered by Washington to be “corrupt”. On the list are five allies of the president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukelele. There are also a number of Guatemalan and Honduran officials on the list. [Associated Press]
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has responded to a request by opposition leader Juan Guaidó to engage in dialogue. The ruling government has said that it is prepared to hold mayoral and gubernatorial elections in November as scheduled but has ignored the opposition’s request to release political prisoners and invite international observers to monitor the elections. Furthermore, it has called on the opposition to “confess to its crimes” as a precondition for talks. [Latin American Herald Tribune]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Muharrem Ince, a former politician from Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) who lost to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the 2018 presidential election, has formed a new party—Memleket Partisi (Homeland Party). Ince plans to lead the Homeland Party in the 2023 presidential campaign. [Al Jazeera]
More than 50 migrants died off the coast of Tunisia, while 33 others were rescued by workers from an oil platform. Tunisian defence officials said that the boat sank along Tunisia’s southeastern coast. The Tunisian navy also dispatched several boats to assist in the search and rescue operations for missing passengers. [Africanews]
Acting United States (US) Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Joey Hood and Special Envoy for Libya Richard Norland visited Libya on Tuesday to underscore the US’ support for the country’s elections in December. In the first high-level visit by US officials since 2014, both envoys met with Libyan interim Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah and underscored the need to remove all foreign troops present in Libya to achieve the goal of a “sovereign, stable, and unified Libya.” [US Department of State, Associated Press]
North America
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday said that American authorities had received information from Israel about its attack on a Gazan building that housed media outlets like Al Jazeera (AJ), and the Associated Press (AP). Though Israel claimed that the tower contained Hamas’ military assets, both AP and AJ have refuted such claims and called for an independent investigation into the strike. [Al Jazeera]
Canada, the US, and Mexico on Tuesday concluded the first meeting of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement’s (CUSMA) Free Trade Commission (FTC). During their talks, the leaders discussed the implementation of the new NAFTA, along with numerous other priorities, including COVID-19 recovery, the strengthening of integrated supply chains, the importance of strong labour standards, ending forced labour, advancing environmental priorities, and working to curb climate change. [Global Affairs Canada]
Oceania
Australian Labor party Senator Penny Wong, who is the Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister, has hit out at the Morrison administration for “not fully comprehend[ing] Australia’s interests in relation to China.” Wong warned that the government is “talking tough for political purposes”, which she argues has given Beijing “leverage”. [ABC News]
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has once again suggested that citizens may require a vaccine passport, even to travel across state borders. [9 News]
New Zealand is planning to use the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in November to push for tariffs to be removed on vaccines, protective masks, syringes, and soap. [The Age]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Police in the Malawian town of Mzimba arrested 10 Bangladeshi nationals for illegally entering the country. Security forces intercepted a truck that was on the way to the capital, Lilongwe. [Nyasa Times]
A COVID-19 task force established by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan last month has urged the leader to join the WHO-led COVAX initiative and secure the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines. The special committee determined that COVID-19 vaccines are “effective and safe for use,” with committee chair Said Aboud saying, “The government should do mass mobilisation, preparation to receive vaccines, storage, transportation and people should be free to be vaccinated or not.” This is a far cry from the policies under former President John Magufuli, who denied the presence of the virus, rejected vaccines as a Western conspiracy, and urged the use of steam therapy to prevent infection. [Africa Feeds]
World News Monitor: 19 May, 2021
A quick look at events from around the globe.
May 19, 2021
Indian PM Narendra Modi SOURCE: FILE PHOTO